Pasture-based fattening does not cause severe nonperforating lesions in veal calves of dairy breeds

Summary: Abomasal lesions are associated with inadequate housing and feeding, and have been found in intensively fattened veal calves. Fattening on pasture might improve abomasal health or even prevent abomasal lesions in calves. This was confirmed by the absence of severe nonperforating lesions in 111 abomasa of grazed bull calves. However, less severe lesions were found in 104 of these abomasa, of which 44 showed diffuse inflammation that had never been described before. This inflammation was characterized by normal mucosal rugae but with slight discoloration that varied in the degree of redness and proliferation. However, these mild lesions and inflammation raise the question of the extent to which the observed changes in abomasa were caused by housing and feeding conditions, or whether they somewhat corresponded to the normal condition of grazing animals.